Hair Twirling

What causes your child to endlessly turn her tresses and what you can do to tame that tendency to twirl

What it is:

Before bedtime or during times of stress, some toddlers develop a ritual of twirling (or even pulling) their hair.

Why it happens:

Hair twirling falls into the category of self-comforting activities, like head banging, hair pulling, and rocking. Yes, these habits seem strange and may even look painful, but they're actually a way for intense or anxious kids to release pent-up energy and tension. Not surprisingly, this behavior occurs most frequently at night when it's time for children to begin winding down— it's their way of taking things down a notch.

What you need to know:

Self-comforting activities like hair twirling (and its more aggressive cousin, hair pulling) are normal for toddlers. By about age three, they gradually disappear on their own. If, however, the behavior persists or your toddler is uncommunicative, doesn't like to be touched, or spends most of her time absorbed in one or more self-comforting activities, talk to your pediatrician.

What to do about it:

Don't force your twirler to stop twirling. The more you try, the more likely it'll increase.

Fight stress with love. The arrival of a new sibling, a change in caregivers, being weaned off the bottle, or any other adjustment can be unsettling for toddlers. To help reduce tension, provide plenty of hugs and kisses, some undivided attention, and relaxing activities (like a quiet story or a mellow massage).

Find other outlets. Give your tot a shaggy stuffed dog to wrestle with so she can relieve her pent-up stress. Pounding with a toy hammer or banging on a toy drum, running around outdoors, swinging on a swing, and dancing to lively music may also help her get her ya-ya's out.

Stick to a soothing ritual. Little kids find comfort in the predictability of a regular bedtime routine. A quiet bath followed by listening to soft music or sitting on your lap as you read a story will help her wind down gently and alleviate the need to de-stress by twirling her hair.

Go short. A shorter haircut (think pixie!) may be a lot less tempting to twirl.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect the Second Year. Health information on this site is based on peer-reviewed medical journals and highly respected health organizations and institutions including ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), as well as the What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.